Coaching Inn buys first site of six planned for 2016: Independent coaching inns operator, The Coaching Inn Group has further strengthened its expansion programme with the acquisition of the Kings Head in Richmond. The deal, secured off an asking price of £2m, is part of the group’s £20m expansion plan, which will see it acquire five more sites this year alone. Previously owned by Ashdale Hotels, the 26-bed Kings Head first opened its doors in 1717 when it was built as a gentleman’s townhouse. Nearly 300 years on, the hotel offers a blend of Georgian architecture with modern practicalities in the heart of the bustling market town of Richmond, North Yorkshire. Founder and managing director Kevin Charity said: “Over the past 12 months we have expanded The Coaching Inn Group with the acquisition of four new inns and have plans to add another five to the estate this year. The Kings Head is a great example of what we do and the locations we are looking to expand into. Based in the heart of North Yorkshire, the Kings Head is a key venue in the town’s offering relaxed and comfortable surroundings for visitors and local residents alike. Working with the existing management team, we plan to invest up to £1m in the property over the next 12 months. We’ll be investing across accommodation, food and beverage, including the addition of our Eatery and Coffee House concept which continues to be very successful across the rest of our estate where it has been applied.” The Coaching Inn Group has ten well- known hotels across Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Wales and has built a strong reputation in the industry for transforming high quality coaching inns and revitalising their offer across food, drink and accommodation.

Brakspear hires Paul Gilchrist to run managed division: Pub operator and brewer Brakspear has appointed Paul Gilchrist as director of retail for its managed pubs division. Gilchrist joins as the managed estate reaches eight sites following the purchase of two Cotswolds pubs in the last two months.  Gilchrist founded and operated a small pub company which included the award-winning Cherry Tree Inn near Henley-on-Thames. He held a number of operational roles at Mitchells & Butlers, where he worked across brands including Browns and Vintage Inns, and previously worked at Belgo and Planet Hollywood. At Brakspear, Gilchrist will be responsible for all operational and retail aspects of the managed pubs division, working alongside the management teams at each site, as well as with Brakspear’s executive chef Antony Ely on menu development across the estate. Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said: “We’re delighted to have Paul on board. His outstanding credentials across the pub and restaurant arena make him the ideal candidate to steer our managed division at this exciting time in its development.” Brakspear’s managed estate was established in 2013 with the opening of the Bull on Bell Street in Henley-on-Thames. Four of the sites are in the Cotswolds region, including the Porch House in Stow-on-the-Wold, which won the Good Pub Guide’s ‘New Pub of the Year 2016’ Award. In September 2015, Brakspear appointed former Geronimo Inns managing director Ed Turner as a non-executive director with a remit to help develop its managed pub division.